Health

Mother and Child Health Care Program

The Mother & Child Health Care Program(M.C.H.) started in the year 1972. It aims at giving assistance to poor and needy mothers. To join this program mothers must pay a sum of Rs. 150/- every year.

After paying this sum their families get various facilities from the centre. They get medicines from the dispensary along with pre and post-natal check-ups, food and various other facilities.

The mothers are selected by the Community Development Workers from their visits to various villages. They decide what families are very poor and needy. Sometimes the families are unable to pay even a small amount. In such situations Hayden Hall pays this sum for them which the mothers can return slowly at their own convenience. However, if they are not even able to pay that, their debt is usually forgiven.

Community Development Worker Training

Every year since 1978, women are selected by their communities to undergo training. The CDWs are trained in preventive health care and social issues. There is also a refresher course for those already trained to refresh their skills and also to train them in new skills. CDWs go on visits to various villages. They also maintain records of their house visits. They conduct meetings with other members of the organization and discuss the problems they saw and heard about during their visits and they work together to find a solution and take the needed steps.

Under 5 Clinics

Under 5 Clinics( Now & Then)

This program is run by the community development workers in the villages following a nutritional and vaccination chart under which children’s weights are recorded regularly. In severe underweight cases, the patients are directed to the dispensary where needful action is taken.

Earlier the community development workers used to visit village areas, get the vaccines from the hospitals and vaccinate the children. But now this service is terminated because now the Government Organizations provide this service.

Those mothers who live near the centre bring their children to join various programs like creche and strive, where regular and proper food supply is ensured and this, in turn, helps resolve health problems in most of the cases. But in case some severe problems arise, then the patients are directed to the government hospitals.

Another common health problem is malnutrition. Pregnant mothers in most cases suffer from malnutrition. In such cases pregnant mothers are asked to join the food program.

Health education is also given to the mothers in the under five-clinics after the weighing activity is over. Since a large number of mothers show up every month they are collected and given instructions about health, hygiene, nutrition, child care and so on.

Dispensary

Once the mothers join the M.C.H. program or become a member of the N.S.S. they can get medicines from the Hayden Hall’s dispensary. The whole family can benefit from the range of medicines available at the dispensary. The dispensary was set up in the year 1975.

The medicines at the dispensary are provided at a rebate of 60% from the original price. The payment process for the medicines varies depending on the economic possibilities of the families. They can also pay for the medicines by parts but if they are not able to pay their part then the debt is forgiven.

Poverty and ignorance lead to common problems like rickets, malnutrition and bone defects, common diseases in the hills due primarily to poor pre- and post-natal nutrition.

Food

No development can take place if people are hungry and malnourished. To this day, since 1971, we have been distributing limited, subsidized rations of rice, lentils and cooking oil to pregnant women, women with infants, senior citizens, people with disabilities and people who have no families to neither look after them nor have the means to earn a living.We also provide a balanced, nutritious lunch for all the children in our daycare centre, pre-school program, evening studies program as well as for the women in our income generation program.